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Ferdinando IV of Naples
Ferdinando IV '''(Ferdinando Giovanni Maria Alfonso; born 14th February 1609) is the tenth and reigning King of Naples and Sicily from the House of Trastámara, having ascended the throne at the age of eight upon the early death of his father, King Alfonso III. As such, the first years of his reign were overseen by the regency of his mother, Maria Ludovica of Modena. His reign of fifty-eight years has been the longest reign in Neapolitan history thus far. His reign has been known as a time of expansion and prosperity for Naples, with the expansion into the island of Sardinia and the seizure of the island from the Spanish crown during the Spanish-Neapolitan War. Respect for the Kingdom of Naples and the once-stagnating House of Trastámara was greatly increased during his reign. He has also been known for his ideas similar to those of Louis XIV in France, with his efforts for centralisation and absolute authority doing extremely well in his Kingdom. As an absolute monarch, he would begin to strip away at the power of the nobility, which would be received poorly by provincial nobles who did not attend court. Ferdinando has been known as a man of great ambition, though also unremarkable in some ways. A man of just below average size and somewhat weaker than his contemporaries, the King was hardly known as strong and powerful. Rather, his true strength came in the form of politics and diplomacy, sending his nation into war over seven times and negotiating favourable peace deals. Despite his short stature and figure, he was known as a man of grace and considered by some the epitome of royalty, due to his extravagance in dress and common portrayal as the perfect king in art. He also managed to prevent the extinction of the House of Trastámara, siring five sons. As such, the one surviving branch of the once paramount house lived and continued to reign in Naples and Sicily under him. Unlike many of his predecessors, he focused more on the culture and refinement of his kingdom, bringing in many new advances in etiquette and the arts. Early Life (1609 - 1617) '''Birth and Baptism The future Ferdinando IV was born on February 14th, 1609 at the Palazzo Reale in Naples, to King Alfonso III of Naples and Queen Maria Ludovica of Modena. He was the eldest child of the King and Queen, thus immediately becoming heir to the throne of Naples and Sicily. He was thus proclaimed and instated as Prince of Sicily, the traditional title of the heir apparent to the throne. His birth was widely celebrated, with a week of balls and celebrations being held for the court while many in the streets of Naples and other prominent cities would hold parties in honour of the birth of the prince. WIP Early Years WIP Early Education WIP Reign (1617 - Present) Ascension WIP Move to Palermo WIP Regency Government WIP Continued Education WIP War of the Neapolitan Succession (1619 - 1624) WIP Government Reform WIP Gran Palazzo di Napoli WIP Centralisation WIP Later Years WIP Character Synopsis Personality Ferdinando was a sharp and astute man, though also quiet and calm. WIP Appearance Ferdinando was unremarkable in appearance. He possessed no truly defining features and would have been able to simply blend in with the crowd were he not the king. He possessed blue-grey eyes, which could sometimes appear black depending on the light. Even in his elder years, his face possessed few lines, which did not give much away about his actual age without the knowledge of it. He possessed a well-shaped face, with a hawk-like nose. Ferdinando was not a large or strong man, he stood at around 5'3'', which was still slightly below the average height of the time. He was also quite thin by the standards of royalty, who were expected to be larger due to the amount of food they had access to. Though physically weak, Ferdinando was still said to be imposing in his own way, due to his sharp gaze. He could not be considered ugly, though he also could not be considered handsome. Ferdinando often augmented his height and physical weakness with his clothing, by wearing large tricorns decorated with plumes, as well as by wearing largely padded clothing in order to make him appear less weak. He favoured darker colours, including burgundy, damask, ultramarine, brown shades and sometimes black. As King, he pioneered new fashions in his kingdom, including the fashion of large wigs which had grown popular in France. He also pioneered baroque fashions, which he favoured greatly over the previous more simple styles. Issue Legitimate Issue With his first wife, Louisa Theresa of Bavaria, Ferdinando IV had six livebirth children, as well as three miscarriages. They had three boys and three girls: * Maria Luisa, Holy Roman Empress (14th September 1624 - 17th July 1671) * Maria Teresa, Duchess of Parma (22nd June 1626 - Present) * Miscarriage (5th July 1627) * Ferdinando Alfonso, Prince of Sicily (27th November 1630 - 14th March 1664) * Maria Sofia, Princess of Naples (3rd April 1633 - 23rd April 1633) * Ludovico Alessandro, Duke of Salerno (18th August 1635 - Present) * Miscarriage (1st January 1638) * Alfonso Maria, Count of Benevento (14th October 1641 - Present) * Miscarriage (15th December 1643) With his second wife, Ambrosia Teresa of Spain, he has two sons: * Francesco Matteo, Count of Catania (19th December 1673 - Present) * Lorenzo Gabriele, Count of Palermo (22nd January 1675 - Present) Illegitimate Issue TBD Ancestry Titles, Styles, Honours and Arms Titles and Styles * 14th February 1609 - 3rd March 1617: 'Sua Altezza Reale, il Duca di Calabria * '''3rd March 1617 - Present: '''Sua Maestà Cristiana, Il Re Ferdinando's full style as King was: ''"By the Grace of God, Ferdinando IV, King of Naples and of Sicily, King of Sardinia and of Corsica, Duke of Tunisia and of Maghreb, Duke of Apulia." '''Honours * Grand Master of the Order of St. Januarius * Sovereign Knight Grand Cross of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George * Grand Master of the Order of the Ermine (Naples) * Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Spain) Category:Monarchs of Naples and Sicily Category:House of Trastámara Category:17th Century Births Category:Prince/Princess of Naples and Sicily Category:Royal Family